plumbing a radiator up back to front and upside down

[AstonHill]

A CH system using hot water could only work using convection with gravity where the hot water would be heated at the bottom of the system, the hot water rises, enters the heat emitters and as the heat is transferred out into the air the cooler water then falls under gravity setting up a convection/gravity circulation. It's how the original centrally heated system used to work. Don't think it specifically requires the water to enter the rad at the top TBH, though that's only supposition. In fact single pipe systems use exactly that principle to work correctly (albeit the main flow would be pumped), where the hot water uses convection to enter the rad create the flow and then convection/gravity to exit (and some help from the flow in the main pipe), that and some cleaver and very specific piping up usually with large main pipework and rads to help modulate the heat supply and some very exact balancing.

Wow! I did not know that the victorians used water central heating system, I though it was all Roman/ caveman style where the exhaust gases of the open fire would run under the floor of the house

Is there anywhere I can get a diagram of a gravity feed CH system as I may like to try it out myself

 

[Madrab]

Just go searching about, you'll find plenty of info available - First one I found

WHAT IS A GRAVITY HEATING SYSTEM? - Gravity Convection Heating Revisited - Boilers On Demand

What is a Gravity Heating System? A century ago all water-based hydronic heating (hot water and steam) employed the natural gravity convection attributes of heated water and water vapor (steam) to distribute energy. NO DISTRIBUTION ENERGY WAS REQUIRED! They were effectively single-zone systems...

www.boilersondemand.com

 

[AstonHill]

Just go searching about, you'll find plenty of info available - First one I found

WHAT IS A GRAVITY HEATING SYSTEM? - Gravity Convection Heating Revisited - Boilers On Demand

What is a Gravity Heating System? A century ago all water-based hydronic heating (hot water and steam) employed the natural gravity convection attributes of heated water and water vapor (steam) to distribute energy. NO DISTRIBUTION ENERGY WAS REQUIRED! They were effectively single-zone systems...

www.boilersondemand.com

Wow! that is set in a basement, though it would be some kind of log burner rayburn stove sat in the living room or kitchen. Would be nice to know how they converted it to run on oil though